On Tuesday this week, I met with the Church Multiplication Team from our Classis (local body of churches). This team is responsible for helping our Classis churches raise up future church planters, care for current church planters, and motivate and assist churches in planting new churches. Yes, it is a big job.
Our denomination is anticipating some big changes in the next 12-18 months and it is easy when people get together to focus on the anxiety and unknowns that face us as the Reformed Church in America. But yesterday, I was reminded of all the good God is doing in our denomination. In that little conference room, there were people involved in church planting in:
1. Nepal (Tom Elenbaas from Harbor Churches and myself)
2. India (Dave Jansen and Centerpoint Church in Columbus)
3. Russia (Greg Stamm the Classis Executive who also works with a church planting organization in Russia)
4. Brazil (Randy Weener from our denomination)
In addition to those global efforts, in our Classis, we have an African Church plant meeting in Grand Rapids, a church plant from the Allegan County Jail, plans for a new plant in East Lansing, another likely in Cleveland, and are beginning discussions of a new plant in Grand Rapids and/or Allendale focused on creating a welcoming place for people of all abilities and their families.
Our God continues to draw people to him and change lives. May God be glorified in all we do as a denomination and right here at Zion.
Connect to God
This week, we are taking a break from our study of Matthew to join Joshua and the Israelites as they prepare to enter the promised land. As God sends Joshua to lead the people and conquer the promised land of Canaan, there are some things Joshua knows and others he does not know, but there is always a next step to take. As we look ahead to remodeling our building as we continue living into a vision of developing leaders to flood our community with gospel conversations, we to know some things and don’t know a whole lot else. But we also know our next step is to remodel our building to support the vision and ministry to which God has called us. This Sunday we take a first step in building on the faithful past of Zion and stepping into the future God is laying out before us.
This Sunday, we are formally kicking off our capital campaign: Building Up, Reaching Out. We will share time lines for various events of the campaign, introduce the leaders of the campaign, share some of our values shaping the campaign, and let you know how you can be involved.
If you would like a copy of the worship service, you can receive a complete copy by contacting Tom Verbrugge or you can find the weekly messages on our website.
Grow in Community
Please be in prayer for our Middle School students who are on a retreat this weekend at Spring Hill Camps. Pray for great connections with each other and their leaders, lots of fun together, but most of all that students might take another step in their walk with Jesus.
Serve the World
Our church plant, City Chapel, recently celebrated the profession of faith of a young man. After the service, a visitor asked a beautiful question: How does this church live up to the promises we just made? Every time someone is baptized or makes profession of faith, we promise to help them grow in their faith and learn how to better follow Jesus, to disciple them. City Chapel is now pairing a spiritual mentor with this young man to help him learn even more how to follow Jesus. God continues to work at City Chapel, bringing new people into the community, and changing lives with the power of his Spirit.
Administrative Details
Our next Leaders Meeting will be Sunday, March 1 from 5-7 pm. We will enjoy a meal together, meeting in ministry teams, and have some other training. Child care will be provided for kids from birth through 5th grade. You can sign-up through the Connection Cards on Sunday.
We continue to thank God for his provision of all of our needs and for the generous support of our congregation with their time, talent, and treasures.
Fiscal Year to date budget: $399,305.52
Fiscal Year to date contributions: $394,259.46
Capital Campaign Kickoff Sunday
What is the Campaign about Anyway?
Our campaign is not about guilt, pressure, manipulation, hidden agendas, or gimmicks. It is a campaign of the heart!
It is about building… building devoted, mature Christians. Building active stewardship into our lives. Building ministry and outreach. And, yes, remodeling our building for more effective ministry.
It is about changed lives.
It is about obedience… about our “Yes” response to God’s challenge.
It is committing ourselves to the vision that God has set before us.
It is about building stewardship into every area of our lives.
It is grappling with the fact that “I own nothing, but I am to manage everything.”
It is about knowing Jesus Christ and making Him known to others.
Join us Sunday to learn even more.
